Chapter 3
Levi arrived at the bar a little before noon. Gus was supervising while the staff was setting up for the big night. While Levi didn’t share Gus’s enthusiasm, part of him was glad for a change of pace at the bar.
The Ivory Dragon was an old piano bar that Gus had bought and tried to convert to an Irish Pub—owned and operated by a man whose only knowledge of Ireland came from movies and TV. The place had been mostly dead for years.
He set his guitar case on the stage he had never seen. He had been at the Dragon for twelve years, but in his entire time there, no one had ever performed live. It was a relic of the bar’s former life as a dueling piano bar. Now, only one piano remained, and it looked to be in disrepair.
“Ok Gus, what do you need me to do?”
“Well, I’ve got everyone else working on decorations, stocking the bar, and rearranging tables. Do you think you could handle setting up everything for the stage? I rented a sound system that should be arriving within the hour.”
“When was the last time anyone set foot on that thing? Are we sure it’s safe?”
Gus shrugged. “It should be.”
Gus’s lack of enthusiasm wasn’t encouraging. Levi grabbed the broom and climbed up to sweep several years of dust from the hardwood. “It seems stable. My fat ass isn’t falling through.”
Gus laughed. “I figured if anyone would have a breakthrough, it would be me, so that’s why I haven’t climbed up there myself.”
“So, how many people have reached out to perform tonight?”
“Well…no one called, so I think it’s just gonna be you.”
A delivery man walked in before Levi could respond.
“Levi, the sound equipment is here!” Gus yelled.
“Alright, send it my way.” Levi tried to hide the panic in his voice. He was ready to perform, he just hoped that his limited repertoire was enough. He could feel the stage fright creeping up, though he was certain he could fake it as an MC and occasional filler, but he had no confidence in his ability to perform all night.
The afternoon was a flurry of activity. Levi hoped for Gus’s sake that everything went well. He knew the bar was on its last legs, and it needed a good night to reinvigorate it. The regulars were great, but the bar was just breaking even most months. Levi was cautiously hopeful, too. The Dragon had saved his life. As strange as it seemed, he felt a debt of gratitude to it, not just Gus.
As they prepared for the opening, Gus pulled him aside. “Levi, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“Ok, so let’s talk.”
“Not here. Let’s go upstairs. I’ve got a pizza stashed up there. Let’s grab some dinner before this night kicks off.”
The apartment was small and looked exactly as it did the day he had moved out. “So, I see you haven’t had any tenants since I left,” he joked. He knew no one had lived there, and Gus could have gotten into trouble if anyone had learned Levi was living there while he got on his feet. The apartment, while decent, was above a bar, and not zoned as residential.
“Nope,” Gus laughed. “Not since the wind blew you in my door 12 years ago… and that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
“What, did I forget to pay my last month’s rent?” Levi asked jokingly as he grabbed a slice of pizza.
“No. you’ve repaid me more than you’ll ever know. You’re like a son to me.”
Levi grinned, and he felt blood creeping into his face.
“Levi, I’m getting too old for this shit and I’m ready to relax.”
“You aren’t too old for anything.”
“I am, and I’m ready to retire. My heart hasn’t been in it since Betty died last year. I’ll still be around some, but will you run the day-to-day operations for me?”
Levi stared at him, dumbfounded.
“Now I can’t change your pay, but if you agree to do this, I’ll make sure you inherit the bar when I die. Even if you don’t want this place, I’m sure the building would fetch a pretty penny with a few updates. I’ll even make a contract if it would make you feel better.”
“I’m flattered, Gus, but I don’t think this place will be the same without you here.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be better. You know what you’re doing, kid. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
He wanted to change the subject but couldn’t find the words. Gus wasn’t entirely wrong, but Levi was still uneasy with the idea.
“Let’s get back down to the bar. We can talk about this after we have one hell of a night. We were supposed to open the doors five minutes ago, and I’m sure the guys downstairs are wondering what they’re supposed to do.”
Levi nodded and followed him.
When they stepped out the door, Levi’s jaw dropped. From their vantage point, he could see people had lined up to get in. More people than he had seen at the bar in years. “Gus, are you seeing this shit? Are you sure you think you are about ready to give up?”
“Yeah. I can’t keep up with these young folks anymore. But you can.”
Levi scanned the crowd as he walked down the stairs. One young man caught his eye. He was wearing tight jeans and no shirt, with dozens of strings of beads around his neck. He was wearing a green and purple mask that obscured the top half of his face. “Damn,” he thought “this is going to be a wild night”.